By Steve Walker
Steve Walker is a Vietnam Veteran, former Justice of the Peace and Journalist
Like any other city, San Antonio experiences its share of crime. Sometimes it is organized and sometimes listed as a category of trans- national, national, or local groupings of highly central- ized enterprises run by the criminals who intend to engage in illegal activity, most commonly for profit.
Sometimes criminal organizations force people to do business with them, such as when a gang extorts money from shopkeepers for “pro- tection”. Gangs may be- come disciplined enough to be considered organized. A criminal organization or gang can also be referred to as a mafia, mob, ring, or syndicate; the network, sub- culture and community of criminals may be referred to as the underworld.
European sociologists define the “mafia” as a type of organized crime group that specializes in the sup- ply of extra-legal protection and quasi law enforcement. Gambetta’s classic work on the Sicilian “Mafia” generates an economic study of the “mafia” which exerts great influence on studies of the Russian Mafia, the Chinese Mafia, Hong Kong Triads and the Japanese Yakuza.
In the past year in San Antonio 118,679 Counts of Theft, 58,977 Counts of Assault, 28,037 Counts of Burglary, 13,777 Counts of Vandalism, and 2,488 Counts of Arrest. According to statistics your chance of becoming a victim of a violent crime is 1 in 14. San Antonio Crime is ranked on a scale of 1 (low crime) to 100 (high crime) San Antonio violent crime is 37.0. (The US average is 22.7) San Antonio property crime is 72.4. (The US aver- age is 35.4) Violent crime is composed of four offenses: murder and non-negligent manslaughter, forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated assault.
Property crime includes the offenses of burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, and arson. The object of the theft-type offenses is the taking of money or property, but there is no force or threat of force against the victims.
Property crime includes the offenses of burglary, larce- ny-theft, motor vehicle theft, and arson. The object of the theft-type offenses is the taking of money or property, but there is no force or threat of force against the victims. San Antonio gangs like the Mexican Mafia, the Bloods and Crips and number of other Mexican gangs have roamed the city since the 1980s and 90s, during and after the days of racial tension between the city’s Mexican and white populations.
On the West Side within the Hispanic ‘hoods” and among the Hispanic “gangs,” a wave that pioneered the true streets of San Antonio as the West Side is the largest urban area and it holds the majority of the city’s housing projects. Like any other metropolitan city, San Antonio has it flaws. Those flaws include those who would make up a group who would commit crimes.
As I always write “Just a Thought.”
